Podcast 5: Looking Ahead ‒ African Studies in Graz
In this episode of the podcast “Looking Ahead”, Angelika Heiling, Jennifer Brunner, and Katharina Oke discuss the African Science Hub Graz (ASH) and the need to rethink our understanding of Africa. The researchers highlight how deeply our knowledge of Africa continues to be shaped by colonial ways of thinking and Eurocentric perspectives. They explore why African languages, literatures, and knowledge systems often play only a marginal role in research, education, and public discourse, even though they are of central importance for understanding global social developments. A thought-provoking conversation about language, power, history, and how knowledge can be reimagined in an interconnected world.
Awarding of certificates
A big congratulations to Anna Schoissengeyer and Amina Nour, who have successfully completed the full African Studies module series during the 2024/25 academic year.
Well done, Anna and Amina!
Article: Blinde Flecken
Africa is a continent that is increasingly moving into global focus, driven by the demand for raw materials and by migration. Its enormous linguistic and cultural diversity is remarkable: with over 2,000 different languages, Africa is one of the richest and most diverse continents in the world. These languages play a central role not only in everyday life, but also in cultural identity.
In the “Introduction to African Studies” module series, linguist Jennifer Brunner and cultural studies scholar Angelika Heiling provide an overview of the extraordinary diversity and dynamism of languages on the southern continent and sharpen awareness of the importance of multilingualism in a globalised world. The aim is not only to preserve and explore this diversity, but also to promote broad societal participation in it.
Read the article by Dagmar Eklaude (in German).
